Grimsby Town director John Fenty on takeover bid and proposed stadium relocation

John Fenty has spoken about the ongoing Grimsby Town takeover bid (Image: Grimsby Live and Getty Images)

Sign up to FREE email alerts from GrimsbyLive - Grimsby Town FC

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

However, that has not proved to be the case, with Town now four games into their League Two campaign.

Speaking as a guest on the Burnsy Show – hosted by BBC Radio Humberside – the club’s majority shareholder revealed that, while a sale price is not the issue, further checks do still need to be made by the club and EFL.

On the sale price, Mr Fenty said: “It was agreed many, many months ago. There was an offer I accepted, so that’s all done and dusted. There is no stumbling block over that whatsoever.

“From the football club’s point of view, proof of funding and passing the fit and proper test, with relation to the EFL, are clearly very important.

“Those have yet to be done.

“When all is said and done, Tom (Shutes) is a developer and I’ve no doubt he’s looking to get all of his ducks in a row before he can progress and satisfy the requirements of the EFL and the final requirements of the club which is, in particular, to make sure there is funding available in the event of a downturn at the club.

“It can be very, very costly if things don’t go right on the field, or go according to budget, as we know.

“It’s important for the club that, if we are going to pass over to new custodians, that we can at least be seen to fund a future downturn, should it occur – not that anybody wants that, of course.”

First reported by Grimsby Live, back in June, the takeover bid headed up by Mr Shutes is part of wider regeneration plans for the area, with the London-based businessman playing a key role in the Greater Grimsby Town Deal.

Talks between Mr Shutes and the club, regarding a potential takeover, date back more than 12 months.

Mr Fenty added: “He’s still working on, I guess, his lot in terms of executing a proposed acquisition of the football club – and also delivering other regeneration plans, in Grimsby in particular.

“If all of that can come off it will be fantastic for the area, fantastic for the football club.

“We just look forward to hoping that he can get his ducks in a row and make it happen.”

In terms of the proposed relocation of the club, to a new stadium, Mr Fenty shed some light on the current state of play.

He continued: “Clearly in terms of the council, I can’t speak on behalf of them. That’s in the hands of the chief executive, and the leader of the council, Philip Jackson.

“Aside of that, obviously the aspiration to relocate continues as far as the football club is concerned.

“I’m now speaking on behalf of the football club.

“We want to do that. At the minute, we have paused on Peaks Parkway at the request of the council.

“We have looked at Freeman Street and, of course, there are some wider proposals for potential location at the fish docks.”

Follow us on Instagram - On the Grimsby Live Instagram page we like to feature great pictures from our area - and if you tag us in your posts, we could repost your picture on our page! Click here to follow Grimsby Live on Instagram.